Several years ago IDRAC ran a pilot experiment with an online language learning platform called TellMeMore. Students with low levels in English and/or Spanish, German or Italian, were given access to the platform which allowed them to work on improving their foreign language skills online at their leisure. However only a very limited number of students engaged with the tool, which was expensive, and therefore the tool was abandoned. At the time of the pilot experiment I had no experience whatsoever with online learning tools. With the knowledge I have gained after three years on the MSc BOE program, I now know that the experiment failed for several reasons and therefore I was determined to have another go at introducing technology enhanced pedagogy in a language learning context but using a different approach.
THE FAILED APPROACH
In the pilot experiment, the language learning tool was not introduced as part of a language course content but rather as an additional tool that students were to use on their own in order to improve their foreign language schools. As a result, the students had little or no incitement to use the tool other then their own motivation for improving their foreign language skills, which proved to be low. The language learning platform was not introduced as course content due to insufficient staff development provision at IDRAC. In order to include the platform in course content would have involved training staff to use the platform and such training was not provided for in the pilot experiment. Another reason the experiment failed was due to inadequate student induction to the project and to the tool itself. The designated students were informed by email that they were being offered access to an online language learning tool and that they were to attend a face to face induction session that would be held in the evening to avoid conflicts with class schedules. However not all students attended despite offering repeat induction sessions and follow-up emails from program directors requiring students to participate in the project. The students who did engage with the tool found it to be useful but too repetitive, e.g. always the same sort of exercises which became quickly became boring.
With hindsight and knowledge gained from from the MSc BOE program, especially the Introduction to Blended and Online Education and the Supporting the Blended and Online Student Experience modules, it was no wonder that the experiment failed as many fundamental errors were made. While the online language learning tool did offer certain affordances (Ryder and Wilson, 1996) i.e. an anywhere anytime learning opportunity, the fact that no provision was made for supporting or fulfilling the needs of the online learner gave proof to the fact that when online learners feel isolated, they fail to engage in their learning (Palloff and Pratt, 2003. Therefore the online tool becomes futile. Furthermore, as the school management had no clear strategy as to why and how to introduce the online tool as far as curriculum and design is concerned, not to mention their lack of concern for staff development, the project was more or less doomed from the start (Porter, 2004).
THE NEW APPROACH
Building on knowledge gained from the MSc BOE and past mistakes, my new approach to using online tools in a language learning context was totally different. First of all, I decided to incorporate the tools in the curriculum of a specific course that I myself was teaching and to carry out the induction process face to face in a regular class session. The advantage of this method was it enabled the students to have a clear idea of what was being asked of them and why, not to mention the fact that they would also be receiving guidance and support, online and off line. Furthermore, even though as head of the languages department I am constantly sollicited by companies trying to sell me costly online language learning platforms, this time I decided to use a variety of free online tools. As Maellinen points out "if the school has chosen certain software/courseware, this tends to dominate the planning process and we start adding questions like 'What can I do with this program?' instead of asking 'How can I make the learning effective?'" (Maellinin, 2001). In this case, as the students only have 2 hours of English classes per week and as the class size is large (+20 students per group), I chose to work with Podcasts and Vodcasts as they offer the possibility for students to work on their listening and speaking skills on a more individual basis. Moreover, as "living in a knowledge-based society does indeed give rise to the need to acquire new digital competences and ICT skills" (Punie, 2007), I wanted to work with tools that I felt could also be useful to my students in situations outside the language classroom. Last but not least, Maellinen also points out that "social interaction skills are increasingly important in a modern world," that "there is also evidence that learning is improved by interaction with other students," and "this seems to be one of the most important ways IT can enhance learning," (Maellinin, 2001). I was convinced that podcast and vodcasts could provide students with new opportunities for interacting with others in a foreign language (including with their teacher) and in the process enhance their learning, too.
BACKGROUND
Several years ago IDRAC ran a pilot experiment with an online language learning platform called TellMeMore. Students with low levels in English and/or Spanish, German or Italian, were given access to the platform which allowed them to work on improving their foreign language skills online at their leisure. However only a very limited number of students engaged with the tool, which was expensive, and therefore the tool was abandoned. At the time of the pilot experiment I had no experience whatsoever with online learning tools. With the knowledge I have gained after three years on the MSc BOE program, I now know that the experiment failed for several reasons and therefore I was determined to have another go at introducing technology enhanced pedagogy in a language learning context but using a different approach.THE FAILED APPROACH
In the pilot experiment, the language learning tool was not introduced as part of a language course content but rather as an additional tool that students were to use on their own in order to improve their foreign language schools. As a result, the students had little or no incitement to use the tool other then their own motivation for improving their foreign language skills, which proved to be low. The language learning platform was not introduced as course content due to insufficient staff development provision at IDRAC. In order to include the platform in course content would have involved training staff to use the platform and such training was not provided for in the pilot experiment. Another reason the experiment failed was due to inadequate student induction to the project and to the tool itself. The designated students were informed by email that they were being offered access to an online language learning tool and that they were to attend a face to face induction session that would be held in the evening to avoid conflicts with class schedules. However not all students attended despite offering repeat induction sessions and follow-up emails from program directors requiring students to participate in the project. The students who did engage with the tool found it to be useful but too repetitive, e.g. always the same sort of exercises which became quickly became boring.
With hindsight and knowledge gained from from the MSc BOE program, especially the Introduction to Blended and Online Education and the Supporting the Blended and Online Student Experience modules, it was no wonder that the experiment failed as many fundamental errors were made. While the online language learning tool did offer certain affordances (Ryder and Wilson, 1996) i.e. an anywhere anytime learning opportunity, the fact that no provision was made for supporting or fulfilling the needs of the online learner gave proof to the fact that when online learners feel isolated, they fail to engage in their learning (Palloff and Pratt, 2003. Therefore the online tool becomes futile. Furthermore, as the school management had no clear strategy as to why and how to introduce the online tool as far as curriculum and design is concerned, not to mention their lack of concern for staff development, the project was more or less doomed from the start (Porter, 2004).
THE NEW APPROACH
Building on knowledge gained from the MSc BOE and past mistakes, my new approach to using online tools in a language learning context was totally different. First of all, I decided to incorporate the tools in the curriculum of a specific course that I myself was teaching and to carry out the induction process face to face in a regular class session. The advantage of this method was it enabled the students to have a clear idea of what was being asked of them and why, not to mention the fact that they would also be receiving guidance and support, online and off line. Furthermore, even though as head of the languages department I am constantly sollicited by companies trying to sell me costly online language learning platforms, this time I decided to use a variety of free online tools. As Maellinen points out "if the school has chosen certain software/courseware, this tends to dominate the planning process and we start adding questions like 'What can I do with this program?' instead of asking 'How can I make the learning effective?'" (Maellinin, 2001). In this case, as the students only have 2 hours of English classes per week and as the class size is large (+20 students per group), I chose to work with Podcasts and Vodcasts as they offer the possibility for students to work on their listening and speaking skills on a more individual basis. Moreover, as "living in a knowledge-based society does indeed give rise to the need to acquire new digital competences and ICT skills" (Punie, 2007), I wanted to work with tools that I felt could also be useful to my students in situations outside the language classroom. Last but not least, Maellinen also points out that "social interaction skills are increasingly important in a modern world," that "there is also evidence that learning is improved by interaction with other students," and "this seems to be one of the most important ways IT can enhance learning," (Maellinin, 2001). I was convinced that podcast and vodcasts could provide students with new opportunities for interacting with others in a foreign language (including with their teacher) and in the process enhance their learning, too.